Bill: (I wanted to only use painted miniatures, and to make that happen I had to make some tough troop choice decisions. I should have taken a Level 15 Hero instead of a Level 20 Hero which would have freed up a lot of points for other troop options, or bumping my chaos sorcerer to Level 15. Should we fight this battle again, I’d probably make those changes.)

Battlefield

There was a low wall with a gap running slightly diagonal across the middle of the table between a watch tower in some woods to and small village in the opposite corner. The watchtower was in the dwarvish deployment zone and the village was in the chaos deployment zone. Also in the dwarvish deployment zone was a long hill.

I deployed my ClansDwarves across from the gap, with the warriors and bret mercenaries to their left and the hill to their right. My cannon, organ gun, and one unit of crossbows on the hill. The last unit of crossbows was on the far side of the hill.

Bill had his chaos warriors, Baron Badbone, Ironhoof the sorcerer, and the gorgon across from the gap in the wall. His centaurs were on the far end across from the unit of crossbows.

Bill: (With those warmachines and crossbows on the hill I was very worried about my chaos warriors. I put the chaos centaurs way off on a flank hoping they would draw a lot of fire from the dwarven warmachines and crossbows. Destroying units would be a added bonus.)

Turn 1

Baron Badbone ordered his army forward, hoping to engage the dwarves before his army was shot to pieces. The chaos centaurs charged across the empty fields on the left flank to close in on the crossbow armed dwarves. Ironhoof tried and failed to kill the cannon crew with an Assault of Stone spell.

I meandered forward with my infantry blocks. My crossbows on the hill moved forward to get a better shooting position. My cannon fired and killed a couple of chaos warriors – which was pretty critical for me. My Organ fired all five barrels and killed 1 centaur. The crossbows across from the centaurs fired at them, I think causing one wound.

Turn 2

Baron Badbone was stunned to see the dwarven troops shamble forward. What luck! Normally dwarves stay in their deployment area, letting their ranged weapons pepper oncoming troops before they reach the fighting men.

The chaos centaurs charged the crossbows, who couldn’t stand and shoot since they had fired last turn. The chaos warriors moved closer to the gap in the wall. The sorcerer and gorgon moved towards the hill, staying close to the chaos warriors. Baron Badbone stayed on the right flank of the chaos warriors. He contemplated joining the warrior unit.

Bill: (I really should have stuck Baron Badbone in the chaos warrior unit, but I wanted him to have mobility options just in case.)

The Gorgon turned one of the cannon crewdwarf to stone. Assault of stone again failed to kill any dwarves.

The chaos centaurs killed a couple of dwarf crossbows and they were pushed back.

On their turn the dwarf infantry blocks moved up again, with the Brettonnian Mercenaries beginning to slog their way over the low wall.

The cannon again fired at the chaos warriors, killing another. The organ gun reloaded. The crossbows on the hill fired at the chaos warriors doing nada.

The crossbows fighting the centaurs lost another dwarf, but passed their rout test and were just pushed back again.

Turn 3

Baron Badbone charged the mercenaries. The craven cowards decided their contract did not cover fighting somebody as intimidating as Baron Badbone, and promptly left the table.

The chaos warriors made it to the gap in the low stone wall. Ironhoof and the gorgon moved up behind the wall to gain cover.

The chaos centaurs were unlucky and lost to the dwarf crossbows, causing them to fall back. The dwarves do not followup and retrieve their crossbows.

Ironhoof casts Assault of Stone once again and kills the 2 remaining cannon crewmen. Ironhoof has only one spellpoint remaining.

Organ gun fires the two loaded barrels and crossbows shoot at centaurs killing all except the hero.

Clansdwarves and Chaos warriors battle, 2 dwarves are killed but the chaos warriors are still driven back 2 inches and the clansdwarves stay on them.

Turn 4

Baron Badbone charges the dwarf warriors and challenges Torm Big Hammer to personal combat. The gorgon and Ironhoof charge the crossbows who had moved down of the long hill. The lone centaur hero charges the crossbows.

Bill: (I debated the value of charging the spear armed dwarves as they crossed the low wall. In WFB 3rd edition, a unit must make a panic test if they are charged when crossing an obstacle. Dwarves have a high Cool rating, and so I really should not have done this. It would have taken several turns for the dwarves to cross the wall and then slam into the flank of my chaos warrior unit. However, I thought Baron Badbone could delay them for a few turns.)

Ironhoof and the gorgon kill a few dwarfs, and win combat.

Torm and Baron Badbone battle to a draw, but the mass of dwarves and their fancy banner force Baron Badbone to retreat a few steps. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea?”

The chaos centaur hero loses a wound and routs from the crossbows. “You can’t trust those fools.”

Bill: (The chaos centaurs kept one crossbow unit occupied for most of the game, which was a waste of their points value. Next time I’ll make sure they have double-handed weapons to give them more hitting power.)

Ironhoof casts Hammerhand on herself.

Dwarf turn.

Crossbows move up. Organ gun crewmen furiously reload.

Torm and Baron Badbone continue their epic battle – no wounds on either side.

Stunties route with just the Gorgon and Ironhoof keeping in contact, allowing them to slay a few more dwarves. Their route causes the other unit of dwarf crossbowmen to flee the battlefield.

Turn 5

Although the chaos warriors were being driven back, they did not sustain casualties. Every turn a dwarf or two fell, but the fancy standard and ranks of dwarven warriors sway the battle in their favor.

Ironhoof and the gorgon slay the last of the fleeing dwarves. The gorgon leaves the battlefield now that the Ironhoofs binding spell has ended.

Torm and Baron Bone continue their struggle. Torm’s rune hammer deals two wounds to Baron Badbone, and he in return deals point of damage t Torm. Again, Baron Badbone retreats from his opponents.

Dwarf Turn,

No movement to speak of. Organ fires and kills the sorcerer.

In a final desperate effort Torm is able to beat down Baron Bone.

Dwarves Clansmen and Chaos Warriors continue their struggle…

At this point, with only the chaos warriors left, Bill concedes defeat.

Super Fun fight. Lots of back and forth. The cannon and organ gun really won the game for me, along with Torm being able to defeat Baron Badbone. I think the chaos warriors may have eventually been able to defeat the clansmen, but they then still had the warriors to face.

Bill: (It was a good fight and reminded me why I enjoy this version of the game so much more than any of the later editions. It has been 20 years since I fought dwarves, and I didn’t really build my army very well because of that. I needed to take some screening troops to deal with the crossbows and cannons, and double-handed weapons to punch through stunty armor. The gorgon was useless because of the dwarves’ high Will Power, which allows them to resist the gaze of the gorgon. You really have to plan ahead when facing dwarves, and my failure to do so cost me the battle. I really should have taken a giant!)